Many types of detection systems have been developed for detecting persons who are approaching or passing through entryways to specified areas. More specifically, detection systems have been developed for discriminating between persons who are authorized to enter a specified area and those who are not. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,933 to Dill discloses a system which discriminates between a person who is wearing a small metal object and a person who is not. Unfortunately, this system can only be used in circumstances where the wearing or not wearing of a small metal object is tightly controlled, such as in certain types of institutions.
Another type of detection system provides a warning if the fastener of a garment which is worn by a person is not properly fastened in an environment where the fastener must be closed to ratify safety or sanitary requirements. Unfortunately, none of the prior art detection systems are directed to monitoring safety equipment compliance or capable of detecting or distinguishing, for example, safety eyewear from conventional eyewear. Typically, the monitoring of the wearing of specified safety equipment by persons entering a designated area or for operating a designated machine is accomplished by visual manual inspection. In this scenario, a full time guard or supervisor must be employed at the entryway to a designated area or within the facility itself to supervise the work area. Only by maintaining constant visual view with the workers is it possible to ensure that all types of safety equipment are worn by machine operators. In spite of extensive education and training on the proper use of safety equipment and the threat of disciplinary action for noncompliance with safety policies, violations of safety policies continue to occur throughout industry. These violations inevitably lead to serious injuries, typically to the face and eyes. The slight inconvenience of wearing proper safety equipment is a small price to pay to avoid the pain, suffering and loss of production for an individual who had sustained an injury due to the failure to wear proper safety equipment. Even if the individual is conscientious about using proper safety eyewear under most circumstances, this is all negated when an injury occurs during one careless moment when a person forgets to wear his or her safety equipment when entering a designated area, is in a hurry, or only intends to stay in the designated area for a short time.
These and other difficulties experienced with the use of safety equipment in industry have been obviated by the present invention.
It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide an automatic detection system for safety equipment which will sound an alarm or similar warning signal when a person who is not wearing the specified eyewear attempts to enter a designated area within which use of such equipment is required by law or by company standards.
Another object of this invention is to provide for an automatic detection system for safety equipment which will detect the wearing of specified safety equipment by persons of different heights who are entering a designated area within which use of such equipment is required.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of an automatic detection system for specified safety equipment which is being worn by a person who is operating an electrically driven machine for which the wearing of specified safety equipment is required when operating the machine.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an automatic detection system for specified equipment which is being worn by a person who is operating an electrically driven machine which prevents the machine from being started by a person who is not wearing the safety equipment which is specified for that machine.
A still further object of the invention is the provision of an automatic detection system for safety equipment which is being worn by a person who is operating an electrically driven machine which cannot be started by a person who is not wearing the specified equipment and which will automatically shut off when that person leaves the machine.
With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.